Naperville Man Pleads Guilty to Setting Air Traffic Facility Fire

The scene at an air traffic control center in Aurora the morning of Sept. 26, 2014. | Photo credit: CBS News

A Naperville contractor pleaded guilty to setting a fire at a radar facility in Aurora, The Associated Press reports. The fire forced the cancellation of thousands of flights.

Brian Howard, 37, will face at least a decade in prison and may be responsible for more than $100 million in restitution. Howard is set to be sentenced Sept. 11.

According to the complaint, Howard entered the air traffic facility located at 619 West Indian Trail in Aurora at around 5:06 a.m. Friday, Sept. 26.

Surveillance video showed Howard dragging a black, hard-sided roller board suitcase, the complaint said. Around 5:36 a.m., about 30 minutes after Howard entered the air traffic facility, a concerned relative saw a message that appeared on Howard’s Facebook page containing a reference to ZAU, the three-letter call number for the facility, the FBI alleged.

The relative forwarded the message to Naperville police, who then forwarded it to Aurora police. The message in part, included in the criminal complaint, stated:

“Take a hard look in the mirror, I have. And this is why I am about to take out ZAU and my life. April, Pop, love you guys and I am sorry. Leaving you with a big mess. Do your best to move on quickly from me please. Feel like I give s--- for the first time in a long time again … but not for too long (haha!) So I’m going to smoke this blunt and move on, take care everyone.”

At 5:42 a.m., someone at the control center called 911 to report a fire at the facility. When the Aurora Fire Department arrived, two fire department paramedics entered the basement of the control center where the smoke was heaviest.

Noticing a trail of blood on the floor, the first responders followed the blood to an area where a floor panel appeared to have been pulled away, exposing telecommunications and other wires, according to the complaint. FBI investigators also said that the paramedic observed a gas can on the floor next to where the panel had been pulled away, towels that appeared to have been burned, and the black roller suitcase.

The first responders continued to follow the blood trail spotting a knife and lighter on the floor, and another knife and more blood, the complaint said.

Encountering a pair of legs sticking out from under a table, the FBI said that a man later identified in the complaint as Howard, was attempting to slice his throat with another knife. The paramedic told agents that he also observed cut wounds on Howard’s arms.

As paramedics pulled the knife out of Howard’s hands and started to treat him, Howard allegedly told them to leave him alone.

The injured Howard was removed from the air traffic control facility and brought to a hospital in Aurora, the FBI said.

The fire created a big radar hole in the Midwest, effectively shutting down O’Hare and Midway Airports that canceled over 1,500 flights and delayed more than 900. Airlines had resumed some flights by the afternoon.

Aurora Police Chief Gregory Thomas said that investigators had ruled out terrorism by mid-morning calling it a “local incident.” He characterized Howard as a contracted employee who worked at the FAA control tower facility in Aurora.